Roman Tiger On the Prowl in the Sussex

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Photo: John Duca/Tom Cooley

Tampa Bay Stakes winner Roman Tiger faces 8 in the Sussex Stakes.

Roman Tiger, whose two stakes wins this year include a triumph in the Tampa Bay Stakes (gr. IIIT), headlines a field of nine in the Sussex Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Delaware Park at the same 1 1/16-mile distance as the Tampa Bay Stakes.

The Sussex, the ninth race on the July 21 card at Delaware Park, is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. (EDT).

Trained and owned by Dennis J. Manning, Roman Tiger  will be making his fifth start of the year. The son of Tiger Ridge opened his 7-year-old season with a sixth-place finish in the restricted Florida Sunshine Millions Turf Stakes before eking out a nose score in the Tampa Bay Stakes. He made it two straight when winning the Turf Classic Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. In his last start, he finished seventh in the Monmouth Stakes (gr. IIT) June 10.

The only other graded stakes winner in the Sussex field, Marilyn's Guy, also is a two-time added-money winner this year, with both scores coming at Aqueduct Racetrack on dirt. The son of Yonaguska won the Excelsior Stakes (gr. III) and the As Indicated Stakes. Owned by Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stables, and  Gary Aisquith, Marilyn’s Guy enters the Sussex off a fourth-place effort in the Lone Star Handicap (gr. III) in late May.

Sleepless Knight, owned by George and Lori Hall, will break from the inside. The son of War Chant   ran a close second in the Da Hoss Stakes on turf at Colonial Downs in mid-June and then finished a close second at Delaware Park in an optional claimer on grass July 4. His biggest wincame in the 2009 Lamplighter Stakes on grass.

Lentenor  , a full brother to 2006 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Barbaro, finished fifth in the Da Hoss at Colonial in his last start. By Dynaformer, Lentenor is owned Roy and Gretchen Jackson, who race Lentenor in the name Lael Stables.

Three others--London Lane, Slip and Drive, and Utley—won at Delaware Park on grass in their prior start. London Lane, a son of Langfuhr   raced by Howard Bender, is the most recent winner of the three, scoring on turf July 4 in an optional claimer. Slip and Drive, a son of Artie Schiller   owned by Jer-Mar Stable, and Utley, a son of Smart Strike   raced by Augustin Stable, each won an allowance race.
Abilio (by Pioneering) and  Global Power (by Pulpit  ) complete the field.

$100,000 Sussex Stakes (gr. IIIT, Race 9, 5:15 p.m.), 3-Year-Olds and Up, 1 1/16 miles turf

Post, Horse, Jockey, Weight,  Trainer
1. Sleepless Knight, M E Smith, 117  K J Breen
2. Marilyn’s Guy, No rider, 117, A W Dutrow
3. Slip and Drive, J Rocco Jr., 119  M Robertson
4. Abilio, No rider, 119 , L Rice
5, Global Power, A Castellano Jr., 117, T M Amoss
6. Lentenor, No rider, 117,  L Delacour
7. London Lane, J Santiago, 119, L E Murray
8. Roman Tiger, D Centeno, 119, D J Manning
9. Utley, A Cintron, 119, J E Sheppard

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